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Rashid Khalidi is the controversial Palestinian scholar praised by Barack Obama in the infamous LA Times video. The LA Times newspaper refuses to release the video for thin reasons, journalistically speaking. See the evidence and story below.

So who is Rashid Khalidi at the center of the Los Angeles Times Obama video firestorm? Nominally he is a 58 year old Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University intertwined in Palestinian causes. Outside the resume he has advocated and provided a legal argument for Palestinians fighting violent wars in Israeli lands, land which he still terms an occupation, putting him at odds with UN Resolution 181 in 1947/48 which established Israel and was supported by the United States. He has called for “reparations” to Iraqis for the Iraqi War.

There is some evidence that Rashid Khalidi served as a de-facto spokesman for Yasser Arafat’s bloody Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a charge which he denies. Yet whether official spokesman or surrogate, he has done the Palestinians’ bidding over a long career that has impugned Israeli sovereignty at every opportunity, even serving as a Palestinian delegate during the farcical Madrid conference in 1991.

His controversial statements reportedly caused Princeton University to pull back from a tenured position there. So he remains at the most liberal and (subjective assessment) anti-Jewish institute of higher learning in the nation, Columbia University.

The saga begins way back in April 2008 when the LA Times reported on an event starring exemplary citizens William Ayers and Rashid Khalidi, sitting side by side with Barack Obama. About the video, they mention in passing that Obama toasted the radical Khalidi, but they neglect to report what exactly he said. They do not report the context, the reactions, or the speech by Ayers in which a dutiful Obama presumably sat through nodding and smiling. The LA Times concludes rather cryptically that Palestinians have a “friend” in Obama.

It should be noted that Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi are close friends, one of the few friends Obama has acknowledged from his life before 2006. His kids go to school with Khalidi’s and he has admitted a full understanding of his views in an earlier interview.

Now fast forward to October 2008 where the major media is beginning to ask questions in light of Obama’s known associations with anti-American radicals. Where is the video? Let’s see for ourselves. Even the famously liberal politico.com and their embarrassing Obama-yes-man Ben Smith has “encouraged” the video’s release. That should end the argument.

Yet suddenly the Los Angeles Times is saying today that the informant gave them the video on condition it not be released. They could write about the contents, but not release it. Anyone believe that excuse? It’s like your best friend giving you a porno tape but making you promise not to watch.

What the LA Times did say at the time about the Obama Khalidi video:

The warm embrace Obama gave to Khalidi, and words like those at the professor’s going-away party, have left some Palestinian American leaders believing that Obama is more receptive to their viewpoint than he is willing to say.

One speaker likened “Zionist settlers on the West Bank” to Osama bin Laden, saying both had been “blinded by ideology.”

The Times claims in typical liberal fashion that they have given the full story by, you know, writing about the video. The problem, of course, is they have given us a sanitized version of the encounter, putting the best foot forward. The Los Angeles Times has endorsed Senator Obama for president, so they are hardly to be trusted with damaging information.

I think what actually happened here is the publisher is now stuck between loyalty to biased staff and the news. His Democrat staff, putting their best foot forward for Obama, concocted an excuse to hide the tape. Now the poor publisher has to protect the chastity of his staff or acknowledge they are acting like Obama embedded reporters. He knows the video is news. Give him credit for that. The junior reporters and their apologists in the newsroom are to blame for this conspiracy. Conjecture of course, but can you do better?

LA Times Obama Video (Discussion)

Photos: Loyola University

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42 Responses to “LA Times Obama Video: Rashid Khalidi”

I will try and be unbiased here and give some more accurate historical highpoints. At the disolution of the ottaman empire after WW1 the Brits and Arabs were allies in pushing the turks out with the Brits promising land to the arabs for their help. In the end they reneged and the arabs did not get the land promised and lost faith in the western powers. World war 11 intervened and they were invaded by everybody, nazi’s, the brits, the italians, the americans, and when the dust settled the whole issue of palestine blossumed as many western europeans colonized it under the british administration of the territorys. Israel grew out of this by an insurrection that the Brits walked away from and formed a nation right before the UN charter was granted for soverignty. The arabs didn’t sign on because they no longer trusted the UN or the West to hold their interests. They saw it as just an invasion, even given the long history of Jewish settlement and tribes going back as far as anyone knows. The arab nations booted the palestinians out of their countries as they just didn’t get along, so the pali’s built up the refugee camps around palestine from the original 500,000 kicked out of their land and farms by the new Israeli nation to 4,500,000 today. And as we all know from there all the modern arab israeli wars occured, syrian and iranian proxies infiltrated and occupied lebanon, and several infatada’s using terrorism have occured since requiring checkpoints, walls, hi tech security, military police, assasinations, etc that has everyone unhappy. So an honest history would see the lands in part as palestinian, in part western european and eastern european, russian invasion, a meddlesome UN, and being forsaken by their fellow arab brothers, as well as specific cultural problems and infighting and huge families without the jobs to pay for it creating a lot of angry unemployed youth with nothing constructive to do. Militias evolved, western money found its way there, intrique, and population pressures. This is the modern Palestinian problem, separate from islam or militant islam or the jeruseulum issue, or hezbollah’s invasion of lebanon using it as a terror launching pad, or hamas’s or corrupt Palestinian governance or the free money subsideies even to financing their local police with outside money. There are reasons for ingrained conflicts and these are just a few of them.

McCain – you are far too kind. The LA times has been a mouthpiece for the left on your coast as much as the NY Times has been on my coast. LA Times, to their credit, has done a better job of hidng the bias and doesn’t have the blatant plagerism issues. The editor doesn’t want it released period. The editors run the show, not the reporters. The editors have final word on all the copy and place the titles on the stories (which serves to editorialize the article). The editors have their jobs because the publishers want them to. The non-release of the tapes is so blatant I can’t believe it. I should be used to this kind of media bias by now, but I guess I’m still living in a Polyannish wolrd where the media reports the news and the editors give their views only in the oped sections…

3

micky Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 4:12 am

This might be a no brainer but I’ll say it anyway.
If McCain doesnt make it a question as to why this wont be released I’ll be very disappointed in him.
All he has to do is ramble off that question, include Jesse Jacksons statement refering to how Israel would be screwed with Obama in office, tie that into Obamas relationship with Wright who coddles Farrakahn, his willingness to appease Iran, anti-Jewish Muslims Edward Said and Khalid, all who knew Each Other at Columbia, and I think he would have a nice little bomb to throw at Obama.

Maybe include his radical muslim relatives in Kenya also.

Ya know, you really have to ask yourself why of all the candidates there were to choose from, the one with the most questionable ties of all is where hes at now.

Can you imagine if McCain had half as many ties to any organization that was white seperatist or something along those lines ?
He would of been toast a year ago.

[…] Of The Los Angeles Times, the LAT is under fire by the McCain camp and its supporters for not releasing a video of Obama praising a Palestianian […]

5

jay Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 5:17 am

The simple reason why John McCain isn’t blowing this up is the fact that the McCain group themselves funded Rashid Khalidi to the tune of 500,000$.

6

micky Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 6:04 am

Jay, I cant seem to find anything confirming that 500,000.00.
If it were true I suspect it was all part of some packaging technique for a bill that needed approval.
Besides, its no big secret that McCain for at least 20 years has without a doubt been a huge supporter of Israel far and above anything Obama has ever said or done for them.
I’d love to see someone try and make the case that Obama is anywhere near as supportive of Israel as McCain has been.
Thats something you wont see the Obama camp “blowing up” I promise you.
The question(s) still need to be answered, and doesnt appear that the Jayson Blair Times is willing to help or be the objective fair publication they claim to be.
They have intentionally gone out of their way to print false stories of McCain having relations that never happened and yet cant release a tape in where they say the article explains everything on the tape ?
Well, if thats the case then releasing the tape can do no harm, right ?
Lets not play games, were all grown men, and know a line of crap when we hear it.

It’s quite evident what this is all about. I suggest that we get the word out by sending this and other articles concerning this video out to as many people as possible via the internet. Send it to many of your Jewish friends as well. They need to know who they are voting for if they are going to vote for Obama.

The LA Times is a disgrace and I can think of only one room in which I would use it along with the NY Times; the bathroom. And I won’t be reading the paper there.

8

George Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 6:27 am

What is really sad about this and the other revelations about Obama is that his Kool-Aid drinking followers put their party before their country.

God Bless America, now more the ever!

9

Tom Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 6:38 am

If this were really an issue, don’t you think the McCain campaign would have tried to use it against Obama by now? They’ve tried everything else.

I love how this country is so pro-Israel. If anyone actually reads the history and educates themselves about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they’d realize that it’s a multi-faceted issue. Both Israel and Palestine have participated in horrific acts against each other – over land. But because Israel supports the US ($$$), we take their side and make the Palestinians out to be the terrorists.

10

micky Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 7:16 am

Tom, wake up.
Hamas and Hezzbolla are both radical Islamic groups funded by Iranian state sponsored terrorism.
Yes, we are pro Israel, would you like to know the best reason why ?
If the sh*t ever hit the fan do you think any other middle eastern country would come to our aid besides Israel ?
I dare you to come up with any stats that show Israel commiting anywhere near the amount of attacks on Palestine as have been commited against them by radical elements in the past.
History will show that everytime the Palestinians were given a package agreed upon they reniged and simply continued their onslaught against Israel.
Many middle eatern countries, the Saudis especially could settle this matter themselves by assisting Palestine. But they wont only because Palestine is being used as a proxy, a tool, to maintain hatred against Israel.
Look back for the last 50 years and any fool will see this.

11

George Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 7:38 am

Tom,

You may not want to hear it but Obama has made it no secret that in college, he choose socialist, Marxist,
and Muslims as friends.

Do you really think that if he becomes President that he won’t continue to associate with these types of Hate and Blame America crowd. Good God man, use your brain.

If we turn our back on Israel, we are turning our back on God. Jews do not believe they have to kill people who reject Judaism.

Muslims believe they must kill anyone who rejects Islam. That is the difference.

Put down the koolaid and step away from the brainwashing of Obama Nation.

The past predicts the future. If Obama has an anti-America past what do you think will the future be like.

12

jay Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 7:41 am

The palestinian question isn’t that simple. The problem is that while a majority on both sides is interested in resolving the conflict peacefully and permanently, radicals on both sides prevent this from happening.

This is a super complex issue. I would be very careful to judge from my comfortable armchair thousands of miles away from the action.

Western support for Israel is a historical necessity. Without it there would be no way Israel could hope to survive. You could go back in history and question yourself whether it was a wise thing to allocate one of the politically most critical pieces of land as the new (old) jewish home. History isn’t always a good guide here. But looking at the current situation, there is no other way than full support. Anything else could mean another holocaust.

Jews have been discriminated throughout history, even in western countries. I don’t get it because we are virtually the same, share beliefs and values.

I hope that the next government will intensify their efforts to separate jews and palestinians and stabilize the region. I guess that’s wishful thinking.

13

micky Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 8:02 am

Palestine needs its head slapped, GOOD!
Once and for all.
They have had ample opportunity to be settled sit down and shut up.
What makes anyone think after all the peace agreements that they’ve violated that they will ever stop coming after Israel ?
Time and time again and people still find a means to validate their actions.
Israel has violently displaced its own people to accomodate them and they still are not happy.
The values you speak of Jay are not embraced by Palestine as it is those who share those values that we must stand by.

Also.
McCain did not “fund Khalidi.” An institute of which McCain was a board member issued grants for research, among them grants to a group for which Khalidi was a researcher.
Also, thier is question as to which Khalidi anyone is talking about.
In my search I discovered another Khalidi.
The Khalidi who directed the CPRS in 1998 was Dr. Ahmad Khalidi (not Rashid).
To supply grants to an organization in the hopes the studies funded would contribute towards a peaceful solution is a far cry from embracing Rashid, telling him you love him, celebrating his farewell along with all the other questionable positions on Israel Obama has gives far more reason to be concerned.

14

jay Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 8:09 am

What if you’re a Palestinian who is opposed to Hamas and just want your family to grow up in peace and freedom? That’s the majority of Palestinians. They don’t need a slapping around. Hamas does. As long as they are in power there will be no peace. But since they are democratically elected by an election that was supported by the west, this is going to be tricky.

Thanks for pointing out the Khalidi funding question. I will have a look into this.

15

micky Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 8:17 am

Then you should not of voted Hamas into power.
Regardless of who supported the election, Palestine made its choice clear.

16

The Other Tom Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 9:51 am

I think this is a bit more nuanced than some of you folks are acknowledging.

First, its absolutely true that Palestinian issues are not islam issues. The radical Muslims really don’t care about the Palestinians, and are quite happy to use them as poster children and wherever possible bomb carriers.

Second, anyone who thinks we should treat Palestinian leadership on the same level as Israel foolishly overlooks the political and military control by Hezbollah and Hamas over what Palistinians actually do. Israel is a bona fide state with a real government, in addition to being an ally. But that is not to say we shouldn’t strongly encourage Israel to work toward peace, especially with Fatah in the West Bank. Now.

Third, this guilt by association thing is not going to win you folks this election. McCain has Liddy. Those of you who want to say no problem Liddy has done his time and all is forgiven, well, good luck with that.

Fourth, McCain’s strategists might want to be careful in playing to the Jewish vote. Your guy’s surrogate Joe the Plumber was out stumping with McCain, and agreed with someone in the crowd who, when asked if “a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel,” said “I’ll go ahead and agree with you on that.” Word to the wise–trying to manipulate Jews through fearmongering, WILL result in backlash.

17

Ignatius Reilly Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 9:57 am

Ok, how is there only ONE copy of this tape in the entire world?

The LA Times better lock its doors real tight. Someone is going to get their hands on that tape, or at least find out who the source is. You can’t keep a secret like that for long.

18

Draven Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 10:12 am

Apparently, here’s a quip from Obama that appears on the tape:

Obama said , āIsrael has no God-given right to occupy Palestineā? plus thereās been āgenocide against the Palestinian people by Israelis.ā?

I think it’s a crime for LA Times to withhold this tape. Dune Capital is offering a minimum of $150,000 reward for the release of the tape based on the grounds it’s the right of the American people to know who they are voting for.

I agree.

19

jay Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 10:13 am

Micky,

so what would you do? Beat the Palestinians into submission – women, kids and all?

I wonder what good that would do to reach some kind of stability in the region.

Besides, although a majority voted for Hamas, a large portion voted against it. Wanna punish them as well for good measure?

So, what would you do?

20

Ignatius Reilly Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 10:31 am

Guys, I think the whole palestine discussion is not the point. The point is, doesn’t the public have a right to see a tape of public statements made by Barack Obama?

This isn’t a secret microphone or a case of eavesdropping. This is a public event.

If it’s as inoccuous as L.A. times claims, why not release it?

If there’s more to it, it is there duty to the public to release ti.

21

jay Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 10:49 am

Micky,
try to put yourself in the position of an ordinary Palestinian. Heavy censorship on any media leaves them largely uninformed about the big picture. To him Hamas is an organisation fighting for his freedom and willing to die for it. They are heroes, nobody sees them as terrorists.

Easy to make a judgement from the other side of the fence. Try walking in their shoes for once.

It took mankind thousands of years to figure out that the earth is round. Looking at it from the moon a 2 year old could come up with the right answer.

Btw, still haven’t heard what you would do. You make it sound all so easy.

22

George Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 10:50 am

Ignatius,
You are right. The newspaper circulation is dropping everyday. This is one reason why. The decide what is news and what is private.

They should release the tape and release it today.
But that might effect the outcome of the election and we can’t have that.

23

micky Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 11:06 am

Yea Iggy, weve come to that point where I even asked the same question earlier;
“and yet cant release a tape in where they say the article explains everything on the tape ?
Well, if thats the case then releasing the tape can do no harm, right ?”

Where do we go from here without realizing that the Times is just running out the clock, holding the ball ?

“so what would you do? Beat the Palestinians into submission – women, kids and all?”

Hate to be so realistic but its actually a war and Israel is not allowed to fight it as one.
The question that should be asked is the one that leads to a hard to swallow answer.
How much longer does Israel have to agree to cease fires only to be sucker punched time and time again ?
The reality is that one day its going to come down to the survival of one or the other and that involves actually winning the conflict.
Jews have kids and wives also that they must protect at the cost of casualties to the enemy.

“I wonder what good that would do to reach some kind of stability in the region.”

If one component is eliminated there will be no instability.

“Besides, although a majority voted for Hamas, a large portion voted against it. Wanna punish them as well for good measure?”

If Obama wins and screws up we will all suffer regardless of who the majority was, thats democracy.

“So, what would you do?”

If some guy kept following me around and has already made several attempts at my life and none of my neighbors will help me I think its only rational to finally have to kill him.

Can you imagine what would happen for example if Mexico kept sending in suicide bombers and lobbing scuds at us repeatedly after each cease fire agreement or truce ?
The enemy has to accept responsability for casualties to innocents if they are willing to subject them to attacks.
Its one thing to diplomatically attempt to avoid war, thats admirable, but only to a certain extent when after decades you’ve lost more of your citizens than if you just went balls out from the beggining.

Trying to weave back into topic here I think its only safe to say that along with statements like J. Jacksons his relation to Khalidi, ties to those who dont like Israel and Obamas weak stance on Israel that they may well soon have to deal with Palestine as its plainly clear that they have not one friendly neighbor.
I can only feel for country that is surrounded by threat and just wants to be left alone

24

George Says:
October 29th, 2008 at 11:30 am

It is because none of us are smart enough to understand what Obama meant on the tape. Even if we hear the tape, we still would not understand.

If Obama said something like ” I value Rashid friendship. I count you as my brother.”

The Obama spin might be, “What he meant was that Obama values the relationship of “brothers” that can count. Obama does not support being brothers to the Palestinians. While is is true their kids go to school together, it does not mean that Obama and Khalidi know anything about one another other then their kids school. Is that a crime? I think not!
It was a complete surprise to him that Mr. Khalidi and Mr. Ayers would be at the dinner and purely coincidental that the three of them were sitting together at the dinner. It should be noted here that Sen. Obama once help a group of intercity Jews put together a Christmas program during his days as a Community Organizer. Sen Obama loves Jewish food and his great-grandmother was a Jew. So he clearly stands by the Jews. In fact we want announce that Sen and Mrs Obama are changing religions and are becoming Jews.”